COMPOSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WITH A VIEW TO THE 2014 ELECTIONS

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14 March 2013

Ian Hudghton (Greens/EFA) − Now that membership of this house has been capped at 751 it is virtually inevitable that there will be future amendments to its composition. Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are all candidate countries whilst Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo are potential candidates. If and when they join, existing Member States will lose Members. This is accepted as a price worth paying for an enlarged EU. It seems obvious that a similar recalculation will take place in the event of Scottish independence. According to calculations which are the subject of today's vote, Scotland should be entitled to around double its current 6 MEPs. Those who argue that other Member States will object to this reallocation are effectively closing the door on any future enlargement.